In theory, putting should be the simplest part of the game.

You’ve hit the ball as far as it can go down a narrow fairway, then landed it on a small target from over 100 yards away, and now all you have to do is roll it in from 10 feet away. But it’s often the sport’s most infuriating part.

Luckily, seven-time major winner Arnold Palmer was always willing to lend amateur golfers a hand with tips. He once gave simple advice to improve your putting technique, saying Tiger Woods did it better than anyone in the game.

Arnold Palmer’s putting advice for amateur golfers

Palmer insisted that the key to putting well was staying as still as possible, moving only your hands and arms.

He wrote a handbook full of tips for amateurs called Arnold Palmer’s Timeless Tips, where he revealed his secret.

“The King” wrote, “The most important thing about putting is to remain absolutely motionless. Only your hands and arms should move during the stroke.

What is your favourite and least favourite club in the bag to hit?

Is there a club you will avoid hitting at all costs at the moment?

“To eliminate body movement, I try to feel ‘inward’ when I set up. I like to feel that my elbows and my knees are pinched in toward an imaginary axis that runs through the middle of my body. This feeling keeps my weight centered and my body quiet throughout the stroke.”

Palmer continued, “Keeping your body quiet during the stroke is still my No. 1 putting key–and nobody does that better than Tiger.”

Putting requires precision to put the ball on the right line, so minimising unnecessary movement is key to a good putting stroke.